Picking up the pieces
by Kristoph
Summary: Percy is getting old. Years of war has taken its toll on him. But due to some interesting turn of events he finds renewed purpose in life, something to raise his sword for. Follow Percy on his new journey set 20 years after canon storyline.
1. Set in motion

**Hi. So, uh, first fic. Yay and stuff.**

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I wasn't the boy I used to be. I've already forgotten the last time I've woken up without wondering if I was still asleep, if everything was just a nightmare. I guess war does that to some people.

Kronos' invasion of Manhattan was my first taste at war. I came out of that one fairly well. A couple of years later Gaea strikes with a war of her own, one more devastating than the last. I came out both of those smiling, waving, praised as a hero. But I didn't come out whole, I was being chunked down bit by bit. Luke, Beckendorf, Selina, Bianca, every single death tore a piece of me. And here I am twenty years after I first stepped into the realm of gods, a tired, aging man.

Camp Half-blood became a constant reminder of everything I've lost. Everyone I've lost. Sometimes being a survivor sucks.

"I never get tired of seeing the sunset, no matter how many times I gaze upon it. Apollo's chariot sure is amazing."

I was sitting down by the beach at camp, watching the sky fade into a glorious orange hue, when Chiron walked up next to me.

"Something troubling you, Percy?" Chiron inquired. "I know that look on your face, I've seen it far too many times."

"How do you do it, Chiron? All these millennia alive, all these wars passed, people lost, how do you keep up with it?" I said, my voice a bit deeper than it used to be.

"In my long life I've experienced many things and I've come to realize that death isn't the end for those we love." Chiron buried his hooves under the warm sand as he continued. "Those who have left the mortal plane live on through us. Their ideals, their values, they continue on with us. Mold us into the people we are. They're a part of you as much as you're a part of them."

"Doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Pain will subside, give it some time. Trust me, it'll fade eventually." The old centaur always knew what to say. Kinda like how Annabeth was.

"Now, it's almost time for dinner. It'd be best not to be late. You know how Dionysus is." With that Chiron headed off. The mention of the Camp Director's name sent a shiver down my spine. Memories of being turned into a dolphin rushed into me. Gods, those were awful times.

I took one last gaze the slowly darkening horizon before dissolving into gentle sea mist and materializing at the foot of the Dining Pavilion. My control over my powers have grown over the years, almost rivaling a minor god's. Zeus isn't too pleased about it. But he was never really pleased about anything, now that I think about it.

"Ah, Peter Johnson." I felt a hand clasp my shoulder. "I see you're still going around camp as seawater. Kindly refrain from doing so at the Pavilion. You're getting the floor wet." Dionysus' mock smile told a different story from his slowly tightening hand around my shoulder.

"Sorry Mr. D, won't happen again." I offered an apologetic smile.

"I've been dealing with your shenanigans for two decades now, boy. Never have two decades felt so long. And I've lived for millennia!"

After my run-in with Dionysus I sat at my table. Tyson hasn't been at camp for years now and Dad's never had any other kid after me so I was the only one at the table. All around me were teenagers, some barely hitting puberty. The campers I grew up with were long gone. Most of them died in the wars, those that did survive went out to live ordinary lives. Not too many stayed in Camp for long. Not as long as I have.

I cut off a portion of my meal and offered it at the fire pit, and went back to my table. I ordered my usual drink, blue Coke. The significance of this color made me smile.

My mind drifted away from my meal. I thought about the the people I've lost over the years. More specifically, Annabeth. Her storm gray eyes, her blonde hair, her annoying smartass personality. I miss her.

We were on a quest to retrieve Shield of Leonidas, another one of Ares' request. It was lost near an entrance to Tartarus after Ares 'accidentally' dropped it. And that was where I lost her. Immediately after we arrived near the entrance we were surrounded by laistrygonians, cyclops, hellhounds and everything Tartarus could spew at us. We fought for hours but we were eventually overwhelmed. As much as Annabeth was a capable warrior, she wasn't built for long and continuous fighting. We passed out from exhaustion and we were dragged off into Tartarus. I don't remember much of our time there, I was mostly half conscious. I remember her screams, her pleads for mercy, and her eventual silence. When I woke up I was at Camp, my body was covered with scars and Annabeth was dead.

And since then, I've always gone on solo quests. I didn't want anyone to share Annabeth's fate.

Dinner passed by quick and I headed down to the camp forge. The sound of the campers singing were drowned out by the sound of metal striking metal. In the past few years I've taken smithing as a hobby, which turned an obsession. I've probably made enough armor and swords for both Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter twice over. I was currently forging a long sword from celestial bronze and silver with a mix of sea stone. A personal build.

When I'm not on a quest I serve as the camp's combat instructor. Swords, daggers, axes, spears, basically anything that is a weapon. I wasn't really good at anything else, gods forbid I teach archery. During my free time, I forge swords and armor. Sometimes I have campers from Hephaestus coming over to work on projects with me.

"Mighty fine weapon you're making there, lad. Makes me wonder if you're actually my son!" I heard a boisterous laugh from the furnace. A familiar bearded face formed over the puddle of molten metal in the furnace.

"Lord Hephaestus, how nice of you to drop by. How's my request comin' along?"

"It's almost done now, just a few tweaks here and there. Give me two days and I'll bring it over personally. That wee little toothpick you call a sword not good enough?"

"Thanks Hephy, I guess I've outgrown my old pen. It isn't as flashy as it used to be, y'know."

"Bah, that was made with terrible craftsmanship. No offense. By the way, lad, this weapon of yours, preparing for a war or something?"

"Or something." Hephaestus and I shared a laugh. He was one of the few gods I could share small moments with, ones reminiscent of the old days.

"Boy, you sure are something else. Which reminds me, my father called for a meeting in two days time and asked you to come. Something about your fate, if I recall correctly." I rolled my eyes, not this again. Zeus holds these meetings to make sure either demigods, more specifically me, didn't rise to power and overthrow the gods or changed allegiance to some opposing force. He does this every month.

"The big guy's gone paranoid. Tell him I'll be there. Thanks Hephy.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work. I'll be watching over your progress with keen eyes, though you've yet to disappoint."

"I'll try to live up to the standards of the god of smiths. Not that big of a deal." Hephaestus' beardy mug settled back in the puddle of molten metal and I was alone in the forge once again.

It was near midnight when I finished sharpening the sword into battle condition. My fingers were covered with grease and my clothes were a bit singed. I washed up from the nearby stream, cleansing my body from dirt and grime.

Just as I was about to call it a night a bright light beamed down from the night sky and a low boom followed suit.

"Up for a little hunt Perseus? I promise to give you a headstart this time." The smirking goddess of the hunt stood in full battle garb, bow in hand and all. Her auburn hair was tied in a neat bun, her silver parka glowing ever so slightly.

"Two gods in one night. What's next, the entire Greek Pantheon?"

"Only two gods? Only two took the time to meet the great Perseus Jackson? Ludicrous." I could hear the sarcasm leak from her tone. Who would've thought the goddess of the hunt would be such a sassy woman. "Some people live their entire lives without meeting a god, be greatful. Now come, I'm in need of a good hunt. I saw some lycans when I passed by Kansas not too long ago, we may still be able to follow their tracks."

"First of all, tracking from your chariot is technically cheating. Second, shouldn't you be driving your chariot? And lastly, who said I needed a headstart?" Artemis would often drop by from her chariot asking me to accompany her for a late night hunt, with no regards whether I was asleep or not.

"It's not cheating, the moon can run on its own without me, and last week's hunt says otherwise. Anymore questions?"

"Can I not go on tonight's hunt?"

"No. You know how this goes, Perseus."

"Would it help if I said please?"

"No." I knew there was no way out of this one. Artemis called down her silver chariot pulled by misty, silver horses. "Tonight is the night we fix your horrendous archery skills. You will become a proper hunter."

"But you've been saying that for five months now. I'm not getting any better by the way."

"Which is more your fault than it is mine. Now get on, we've got lycans to hunt."

Begrudgingly, I stepped in her chariot and it flew up tens of thousands of feet in the sky before rushing forward at incredibly terrifying speeds.

"How have you been, Perseus? A little birdie told me you've been sulking a lot more than usual." Artemis said, not bothering look at me as she said it.

I was caught off guard by her remark. I was being watched? Since when? By who?

"Well you tell that little birdie of yours to piss off. I don't like being watched." Artemis turned to me pouted as she crossed her arms, not bothering to look at which way her chariot was going.

"This isn't you. You used to be a headstrong and confident man. What happened to your bravado? Your machismo?"

"It died with all of them." Silence took over the chariot. Neither of us really knew what to say. She knew what I meant, she's lost Thalia along with a lot of her previous hunters. "They're not coming back, never will."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked but I shook my head.

"No, not tonight." Artemis was caught in her thoughts before she sprung up, I can almost hear her yell eureka in her head.

"I've got an idea." She took the reins and made a sharp turn, the chariot sped faster in the sky.

"You are a terrible driver." I croaked out as I held on the sides, trying my best not to fall off the speeding lunar vehicle. All I heard was the rushing wind and the laughter of a goddess. Where ever we were going, it definitely wasn't in America anymore.

We passed by an ocean of clouds before it cleared and presented an actual ocean before the chariot stopped. The moon shone against the ever-changing tides of the ocean.

"The view is nice and but I don't think the lycans would be here."

"The lycans can wait. Now, you've entered my father's domain so it's only right I enter your father's." I had a terrible feeling about what she was suggesting.

"No. I'm already sick from being this high."

"Yes, Perseus. We will jump. It's the only way out of this."

"We are thousands of feet in the air! Are you insane?!"

"Fifty five thousand feet actually."

"Not helping." Artemis held my hand as the chariot began to shimmer out of existence.

"Learn to let go." And from fifty five thousand we fell. I felt my ears pop from the pressure, the wind blew back my hair and skin on my face. As crazy as this idea was, it did help. It felt nice to feel disconnected from everything, away from everything. Living in my own void, bound to nothing.

I let go of Artemis' hand and spun in the air, propelling myself faster and faster towards the ocean. I heard it calling to me, the sound of the waves. The cool wind of the ocean breeze invigorated me.

I shot into the depths of the ocean like a bullet, I felt the water welcome me with its arms once again. Artemis dove down not too long after I have, I made a bubble of air around her. Not sure what happens to immortals when they drown but I imagine that it isn't all that good.

Artemis was breathing hard, almost like she was suffocating. I tried assisting her but she shook her head.

"Children of Zeus aren't really used to the ocean. Especially the biggest one there is. I just need to get used to the seemingly endless pit underneath us."

I laughed. It seems like the tables were turned.

"It's only a couple thousand feet from the ocean floor. Where light can barely reach. With creatures in every corner."

"I figured the ocean would help ease your mind. I just didn't take into account how scary it would be for me."

The ocean floor grumbled, almost as if stones being crushed. Then a deep guttural growl came from below us. Artemis stiffened.

"I don't suppose all oceans do that." Fear was laced in her voice. I knew what those sounds were, dad is such an ass.

"That was just my dad saying hi. Think of it like Zeus' rumbling thunderclouds." I could tell she was very uncomfortable in unfamiliar territory.

"So, any idea what your dad has in store for me at the meeting?" I said to distract her from her predicament.

"Why won't you accept godhood, Perseus? It isn't that different from being mortal. Everyone on Olympus know you're godlike in power, you're a god in every sense but name."

I didn't have an answer for her question. I have thought about godhood. Having my own domain, immortality, shiny blood. I don't really have any reason not to accept godhood. Maybe I will accept it at the meeting. Just maybe.

"It's time for me to leave. I think I've overstayed my welcome here. We'll work on your archery next time. I'll see you on Olympus." And in almost an instant, I was alone. Again.

I didn't see much of a reason to return to camp for the night. No bed can match the ocean's waters. I closed my eyes, praying to Morpheus for a very normal dream.

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 **That was the introductory chapter. Thanks for reading. Pairings are undecided but Artemis will play a major role in the story. So yeah...see ya in a week or so.**


	2. Roll call

**Sup, welcome to chapter 2. A bit of warning, nothing really happens in this chapter. Everything here is to just explain what happened to everyone in between the canon timeline and this story's. I didn't really go in depth on everyone's situation but just enough to show that not EVERYONE died. So I hope that answers everyone's question regarding the _fate_ of the others.**

 **So yeah, enjoy.**

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 _"Percy, we can't hold them off for long! We have to fall back! We have to abandon Queens Tunnel!" Jason's screams were muffled by the sound swords clashing with armor. Lightning sparks flew around as Jason and I held off a battalion of Dracanae and Laistrygonians._

 _"They're using this tunnel as a major point of attack, we can't abandon this post! If we go now they'll gain leverage against us!" I had no intention of stopping. From the scouts' report, this tunnel was going to be used to transport the Giants' army into the battlefield. The other posts already had their hands full, if we let this tunnel go they'll be attacked from all sides._

 _"Collapse the tunnel! We have no choice!" I channeled my inner earthshaker from within and cracks appeared along the walls of the tunnel. The ground rumbled as it was about to collapse._

 _"Jason, get behind me!" But before he could take a step from his position my body felt heavy, no, not heavy, slow. Everything was slow. O gods, not now._

 _"Ah, my dear grandsons. Have you missed me, Perseus? Oh, and son of Zeus, I'm delighted to meet you. I've yet to pay you back for Othrys." Kronos' voice echoed through the slowly crumbling tunnel. Everything was almost in a standstill. Kronos stood at almost twelve feet, covered in black wispy smokes. His golden eyes shined in contrast to his deathly pale face._

 _"R-run, Jason! Run!" But no matter how much he struggled he was moving like he was running through tar. Kronos was moving a normal pace, almost skipping through the army of Laistrygonians._

 _"Who shall I begin with." Kronos smiled menacingly, he knew there was nothing we could do. "Perhaps you're wondering how I've come back to this realm. Well that's quite simple, I made a bargain with Mother. I lend my aid to her children in their war against Olympus and in exchange I get to play with you, Perseus." The Titan king pulled out a golden dagger and fiddled with it in his hands. "And as a bonus, it seems I get to play with Zeus' dear son. Oh how the dates favor me today."_

 _Kronos ran the tip of the dagger across Jason's arm, drawing small slits of blood. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't even close my eyes to watch how Kronos ran his dagger right through Jason's chest. Blood splattered all over the Titan king's arm._

 _"Filthy, half-breed blood. You dare think you could stand up to the superior race? I'll show you the power of a Titan." Kronos dashed in front of me and pressed his thumbs against my eyes. "Relive the pain, Perseus. Suffer, writhe like a worm on a hook."_

 _My vision was engulfed in gold. It then began to shift and stir into various shapes until it became clear. I could see my friends, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Piper, Annabeth, but the scene changed into something more horrific._

 _I watched my friends die one by one. Leo was burned alive, Hazel was given back the years she had cheated from death, essentially turning to dust. Frank was mauled by various animals, Piper was skinned and Annabeth was driven insane to the point of suicide. And I watched it happen over and over. Then I heard a whisper. It was Kronos._

 _"I'm showing you what's to come. There's nothing you can do to stop it, fate has woven its threads." And I was back in the tunnel, Kronos was in front of me. Smiling a sickly sweet smile._

 _"I won't kill you here, child. That would be merciful. Instead I'll have you live out what you've seen. Have fun." Time resumed and Kronos was gone in a blink of an eye. The tunnel collapsed, crushing a huge chunk of the battalion along with Jason's corpse. Then all became white._

I woke up in cold sweat, or whatever the underwater equivalent was. Thanks Morpheus, that was a very normal dream. Not being sarcastic at all.

I was surrounded by a school of fish, some merpeople and even a shark. All had their eyes on me.

"Do I have something on my face?" I asked. Knowing me, I'm pretty sure I've got a bunch of seaweed on my face.

"My lord, you've been screaming in your sleep. Must've been hours since we first heard you cry out." A merman spoke up, worry was plastered on his face.

"Oh, well thanks for watching over me. I just get nightmares sometimes, sorry for disturbing all of you." I had dreamt of the Third Gigantomachy again. It was the war that tore me up the most. The loss of Jason, the visions, we would have lost the war if it wasn't for Annabeth and Athena's combined strategic minds.

I shift back into sea mist and materialized in front of The Big House. The sun was just about to rise over the hills of the camp so I had time to prepare for the day's class. I went over to the armory to check the stock of weapons we had along with its conditions. Being a staff at camp meant I had a lot more responsibilities. Those include inventory of weapons and armor, ensuring campers are battle ready and in times of war, act as a commanding officer at camp.

"Perseus, up early I see. You've grown into quite a responsible man. I remember having to drag you out of your cabin at noon." I was greeted by Chiron who was wearing a slightly damp gray sweatshirt. He seemed a bit winded.

"Well we've all got to grow up sometimes. Also, you wouldn't happen to have a replacement combat instructor, would you?"

"Planning on quitting, child? Though I respect your decision I can't say I won't be saddened by it. You've the most experience in battle than anyone else around here."

"I've been planning to go on a trip, Chiron. A long one. But I'll be here if the camp is ever in need."

"A trip? What trip would warrant you to quit?"

"I'm going to Tartarus." The amount of shock on Chiron's face couldn't be put into words.

"You plan on going to Tartarus? Willingly? Have you gone mad?" I knew he'd react this way. Not too many demigods venture into Tartarus and come out alive. And I've been there thrice.

"I have to look for her, Chiron. If not her then even just her body will be enough." I was going to Tartarus to find a woman who has been gone for nearly a decade. But Annabeth wasn't just any other woman. I know she's dead, the chances of her being alive all this time was anstronomically slim but I need to do this. A form of closure, so to speak. "It just hurts, even after all these years."

"Percy, I know it hurts but you have to see reason. You've escaped Tartarus thrice, yes, but you were barely alive. You have to leave some things as they are, I'm sure her soul rests peacefully."

"I was sent to Tartarus unprepared, I had nothing but a weapon and the skin on my back. But it'll be different this time because I've planned for this." Chiron seemed lost in thought. He knew I had the strength to survive Tartarus, he was just afraid for the worse. Even I'm not entirely confident in my plan.

Chiron sighed.

"I suppose I can ask a few Area campers to lead combat training. It'll be a pain in the hind but I'm sure they'll manage."

"Thanks Chiron. You want a souvenir?" The old centaur was not amused but he offered a smile.

"Tartarus is no place for demigods. Even gods fear Tartarus, Percy. I pray to the gods that you find what you're looking for as fast as possible."

Silence broke out between us. The sun rise and its rays illuminated the camp.

"When do you plan on embarking on your journey?"

"A week from now."

"Do the gods know about this little trip?"

"I plan on telling them in the meeting tomorrow. It'll probably put a smile on the big guy's face, eh? His greatest threat marching into Tartarus on his own. Man, I can't wait to see their faces." Chiron and I shared a small chuckle. We both knew this trip wasn't going to end on a positive note. Nothing concerning Tartarus ever does.

"Well, you'd better get ready for the day. You've got a class to teach." I nodded and we went our separate ways. I guess I better make the most out of this week because next week is gonna be hell. Literally.

I arrived at the combat arena and a few campers were already there, stretching and practicing their stances. The combat arena was nice in the morning. It was quiet and peaceful, I could still smell the strawberries from the field not too far the arena. My musings was abruptly stopped when I felt a tug from a small blonde kid with lightning blue eyes, he was 13 at most. He looked like Jason so much that it almost hurts a little to look at him.

"Uhm, Mr. Jackson? How did you become so good with a sword? I've been trying and trying but I can't seem to get any better." Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the kid was scrawny. He was a lot smaller than the other campers his age.

"Who's your godly parent, kid?"

"Iris, sir." So he doesn't have any physical combat abilities from his parent. Having no VB other way of assessing his capabilities, I grabbed a training sword from a nearby rack and and handed it to the kid.

"Give me five overhead as fast as you can." The kid followed orders. His form was correct but the sword was a little too big for him and it was already a short sword to begin with. No wonder he was having troubles. I grabbed two daggers from the rack and gave those to the little blonde.

"The sword's way too big for your body at the moment. Have a couple of swings with these two, you'll feel the difference. You're small but you're also agile, these daggers will help you win fights with speed instead of strength." The kid swung the dagger and his strikes we significantly faster. He seemed pleased with his newfound weapon.

It wasn't long before the combat arena was flooded with campers. They sparred and I watched each one of them with focus. In an unforgiving world, a weapon is your friend if you know how to use it properly. If I could teach these kids to fight then maybe I could save some of them from the pain of loss.

"Find an opening! Strike with ferocity! Think five steps ahead! Your opponent will not wait for you to fix your stance, adapt!" I shouted out loud while the campers were striking and thrusting with everything they could. "Make a mistake and you will die! Monsters will not show mercy so neither should you!"

The blonde kid from earlier seemed to be holding well against his partner. Even as a beginner he was moving well, must be those battle instincts kicking in.

I continued the lesson by showing several parrying techniques and the counters for each one. After teaching them the techniques I let them try it out in sparring. I believe that hands-on activities are much more effective than lectures and books. Though that may be because I hate lectures and books.

By the end of class every single kid was sweaty and panting. Some of them were even bruised. A successful class if I do say so myself. I decided to end the class with some wisdom.

"You all did good today, exceptional even. But always remember that no amount of training here will ever prepare you for the world out there because there is no danger here. Only when faced with threat do our true skills become apparent. Expect the unexpected, adapt and survive. Class dismissed." One by one, the campers left the arena and headed to the showers. I watched them leave and wondered if another prophecy would revolve around one of them. I hoped not, prophecies never end well.

"Same old Jackson with corniest speech. You haven't changed a bit, Jackson." The voice of the woman I least expected to meet rang through the arena. At the entrance was a woman with shoulder length brown hair, she had a scar running from her eye to her jaw. Her jet black leather jacket covered her missing arm.

"Clarisse La Rue, never thought I'd see you around here again. Last time I checked you were struggling to keep your kid from crying every second." Clarisse was one of the few people that have survived wars as much as I have. She didn't come out of those whole too, quite literally. She lost her arm shielding Chris Rodriguez, her then boyfriend now husband, from a basilisk.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I've got two of them now and it is not fun." She was also the last person I'd expect to become a mother but I guess things change.

"So, what brought you back to camp?"

"Nothing really, I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd drop by. I didn't expect you to still be here, much less an instructor."

"Don't really have anywhere to go to. My mom's been dead for a while now so I didn't really see a reason to leave." My mom's death was the only one that didn't hurt as much. She died of old age, not by a sword, an arrow, or any godly intervention. A normal death that I was oddly thankful for. Paul left the country some time after, to mourn and all that. He was a nice guy.

"Yeah, makes sense. Well, I gotta go. I bet the kids are tearing Chris limb by limb right about now. It was nice seeing you again, Percy. It really was."

"Yeah, nice seeing you too. Send Chris my regards." I offered a small wave and Clarisse left. I cleaned up the mess the campers left at the arena but I couldn't help but wonder how my life could have turned out if I was normal. Wife, kids, minimum wage, that sort of stuff. It seemed a lot less hectic than this one.

I headed back to my cabin and sat on the bed. I closed my eyes and focused my mind on one very specific satyr. Time to check in on my best friend.

 _Grover_

 _Grover_

 _"Oh, 'sup Percy. How you holding up? Last time I talked to you you were looking for an entrance to Tartarus."_

 _"Percy, were you serious about that? Please tell me you weren't serious."_

 _I gotta find her, Grover. She deserves a proper burial. Everyone else had one. Everyone but her._

 _"I know that, she was my friend too. But this is just insane. Only an idiot would go to Tartarus by his own free will."_

 _I have been called an idiot before._

 _"Listen, why don't you come over and we'll talk this over some enchiladas and soda cans."_

 _I'll come over when I have the time but I'll have to pass on those soda cans._

 _"More cans for me then. Talk to you soon. Juniper says hi."_

 _Yeah, soon. See you later, buddy._

Our empathy link has gotten stronger over the years that we didn't even need to be asleep to talk. Grover's been playing a huge role in forest restoration, acting as a public spokesperson for his company, Revita Co., an organization leading in the world's search for alternative energy source and forest restoration. He's taken the title Lord of the Wild to a whole new level.

I didn't know how or where I was going to find Annabeth down there. But I didn't care, her burial's been nine years overdue.

I had to make a call. I created a small mist in my room and flicked a drachma towards it.

"Oh Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Thalia Grace, California."

An image shimmered in my room and I was greeted by a disgusting sight. Thalia was in a forest and during the time Thalia was gutting and skinning a dear. Not a very pleasant sight in the morning.

"Yo, thunder thighs. Is that how you greet everyone? Gutting a deer in front of them?"

Thalia was startled and her knife slipped, creating an unwanted cut through the deers head.

"Damn it, Percy. Now I can't mount this deer at our cabin."

"You can catch another one later, I was just calling say hi. It's kinda boring here."

"We'll be there for Capture the Flag this week, so you better prepare to watch your campers lose."

"You're just lucky I can't participate. If I recall correctly, I broke the Hunters' winning streak."

Thalia blew a raspberry. She wasn't pleased about losing in Capture the Flag in the most embarrassing way possible. I encased their bodies in ice and I skipped towards their flag. Skipping like I was a little kid in a park on a bright Saturday morning. To say they were pissed would be an understatement.

"Anyways, I have to bring this deer back to camp for lunch. I'll see you this Friday, Percy."

"See you later, thunder thighs. Tell Artemis I said hi."

"Very controversial, Percy. Very controversial. Don't think I don't know about you and Lady Artemis' late night escapades."

Before she could even get another peep out I ran my hand through the mist, ending the call. From an outsider's perspective it does kind of look controversial. A virgin goddess hanging around with a male demigod. Oh well, no point in thinking about it now. I had to set my mind for tomorrow's event. Who knows what could happen.

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 **I finished this chapter quite quick because it doesn't really have any impact on the plot, its basically just an exposition chapter. Literally everything happens to set everything in place and show what Percy does when he's not on a quest. I apologize for the lack of advancement but I felt like this was needed early rather than slowly putting everyone into play one by one.**

 **Next chapter will take another couple of days, not a week like I thought it would.  
**


	3. Worst initiation ever

**Hello. This is chapter 3. Enjoy and stuff. Not much has happened yet but the plot advances a bit. Yay.  
Also, thank you for the very kind reviews. It kinda motivates to write a lil bit more so thanks for that. I didn't really expect such positive feedback for my first fic. I'll keep 'em comin for you.**

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"Olympians, today we are gathered once again to discuss the fate of Olympus and our world." Zeus's thunderous voice boomed in the throne room. All the gods were less enthused about the ordeal than Zeus.

"Dad, we've been over this. If Percy was going to rebel against us he would've done it by now. Everyone knows everyone owes Percy at least once." Apollo voiced out his thoughts, the rest of the gods didn't seem to care. Ares was sharpening his knife, Aphrodite was filing her nails, Hephaestus was building miniature flying drones. Hermes and Dionysus were carelessly sleeping.

"Father, I agree with Apollo. After all these years you still do no trust Perseus? He's done more service to Olympus than any other demigod in history." Surprisingly, it was Athena who spoke up. "I believe him to be a trustworthy ally, betrayal is not in his blood."

"Brother, I grow tired of this. My son has never done anything against the interest of the gods, much less aim to claim your throne. Have you gone senile?" Dad tried his best to calm down the Thunder Lord but it didn't seem to work.

"History will repeat itself. The Protogenoi were overthrown by their children, the Titans by theirs. And of all our children, this boy has the greatest chance of overthrowing us."

I really didn't get the point of Zeus's paranoia. I barely had the intention of being a god, what made him think I wanted to ride to power? I guess this is what he felt when Kronos ate his sibling, history does repeat itself.

"Husband, you realize that your fear of being overthrown is the same as Kronos when he swallowed us. Do you not see what you are becoming?" Hera was the last person I imagined defending me but I guess even she got tired of her husband's endless tirade.

Zeus's expression softened, realization dawning his face. I was relieved but I couldn't help but find his reaction funny.

"That may be so but we can not let him do as he wishes, his powers are becoming far too dangerous."

"Then grant him godhood. As a god he's bound to rules that he can not break, as mischievous as he is." Hestia's voice soft and gentle but everyone heard her. All eyes were on her, even Apollo and Dionysus creaked an eye open.

"As a god he's sworn to us, let him swear eternal loyalty. Would that satisfy you, little brother?"

"But making him into a god would grant him more power! The point of this meeting was to contain said power, not increase it."

"They are family, brother. Not slaves. You are not our father, you are better than that." I watched as all these powerful beings argue over me. To be quite honest I didn't really see myself as that big of a deal. Sure, I got stronger over the years but I couldn't just raise an army on a snap of a finger to topple over Olympus. That'd be more in Nico's department.

Zeus close his eyes in thought, probably weighing his options. He's usually rash when making decisions, it's a bit odd seeing him actually think.

"I see your point, Hestia. What do you think of Percy's godhood, Athena?"

"Personally, I think it's a pain in the ass to have kelphead's ego inflated." And there was the Athena I knew, firing away with the insults. "But I can't deny the boy's value as an ally."

Zeus scratched his beard. Here comes the verdict.

"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon. Do you accept our gift of godhood, as we've offered you all those years ago?"

"I do."

"Why the sudden change of heart? Years ago you refused as fast as you accepted today. Why now?"

I remembered why I refused back then, Annabeth. And now I was accepting it for the same reason. With godhood I'd have a higher chance of surviving down in Tartarus.

"No reason, Lord Zeus. I really don't see a reason to refuse."

"No matter, let's get this over with. Swear upon the River Styx Jackson. Swear eternal servitude to Olympus."

"I solemnly swear upon the River Styx to serve Olympus and its interest." Upon finishing my oath a thunderous boom followed, sealing my oath to the Styx.

"Good. Now swear to the Void." The entire room had gone silent, each of the Olympians had their gazes fixed on Zeus with mised reactions.

"Father, do you not think this is too much?"

"Holy shit, this ought to be good."

"A bit overkill there dad. All because of a demigod?"

"Brother, you dare—"

"ENOUGH!" Zeus slammed his Master Bolt on the ground, sending a blue shockwave down the floor of the Throne room. "I have deemed it necessary. I will not make the same mistake of our forefathers."

I've been clueless for a good portion of my life but this was the first time I was completely lost. What the hell was the void?

"Uhm, a little explanation please?" I squeaked out and Athena, being the smartass that she was, answered first.

"The Void is the realm of the first deity. Everything emerged from the Void, from Chaos. Breaking an oath bound to the Void will cause you to disappear, no soul, no essence, no chance of reforming. You will simple cease to exist."

I felt a drop of sweat run down my back. Chiron was right, death isn't the end. But having my existence erased sure sounds like the end.

"Fine. I solemnly swear upon the Void to serve Olympus and its interests." And as soon as I finished my oath I experienced the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life.

Black tendrils sprouted from the ground and slithered around my body before plunging itself into my mouth. I writhed on the ground in pain, I felt the tendrils wrap itself around my insides. I could feel it from every inch of my body, I couldn't even scream. This pain was more than the pain from Lethe and Styx combined.

"I have heard you and I will hold those words." I heard a whisper that sent a chill through my core. I swear powerful deities have a weird fetish for ear whispering.

It wasn't long until the tendrils receded and I was left convulsing on the floor, my clothes drenched in sweat. Worst god initiation ever.

"As head of the Olympian council I, Zeus, King of the gods, bestow upon Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, the gift godhood. From this moment forward you will bear the title God of Natural Disasters, a Lord of the Seas. All hail the new god." Zeus's voice was broadcasted all around Olympus, I heard some cheers from outside the throne room. I'm sure I would have been elated if every single part of my body felt like it was being torn apart. This really is the worst initiation ever.

"Somebody get him to my palace, I'll watch over him." Apollo flashed in a bright yellow flash, presumably going to his palace. I was picked up from the ground by his sister, Artemis.

"Well Mr. Sulking and Brooding, congratulations on godhood. It's not how most gods are initiated but you've always been a special case." I answered with grunts and moans because that was all my body was capable of producing. I'm sure she got the message.

"Apollo will take good care of you. He's a god of medicine for a reason. Now rest Percy, rest. Sleep."

* * *

 _"Save me, Percy!"_

 _"You abandoned me!"_

 _"Help me!"_

 _"I don't wanna die!"_

 _"Help us. Help us! HELP US!"_

I snapped my eyes open and I was greeted with the smiling face of the Sun god, uncomfortably close to my face.

"Why, hello there sleepyhead. Morpheus not cutting you some slack? He's usually not an asshole." His blazing yellow eyes were like miniature suns. I guess I've never seen him this close. I was in what looked like a hospital room, white walls, white tiles, a window overlooking Olympus.

I sat up from my bed, my body still ached. I noticed my clothes were fresh and weren't soaked with sweat. I actually smelled nice too. I raised an eyebrow towards Apollo, asking for an explanation.

"Well bathing a patient is a part of being a medical provider. Don't worry, I was very thorough." And I felt more violated than the time I got mouth raped by void tentacles.

"Anyways, you were just exhausted. Void oath probably sapped a bit of your life force but don't worry, you're immortal now so it's not like it matters." God of medicine or not, he's got to be the worst doctor I've ever had.

"So yeah, welcome to godhood. You've got shiny golden new blood now! That's pretty much it. Now, out of the palace I'm throwing a party and Hephaestus is looking for you." Apollo switched from terrible doctor to party dude in less than a second. So this is why Artemis is annoyed, he could be serious one moment and be a sleaze the next.

"Thank you, Lord Apollo. I should get going." But before I could get to the door Apollo grabbed my arm, his eyes flared ever so slightly.

"I know you've been going out at night with my sister. I don't know what you're planning but I know you're a good man. You hurt her and I will burn you to a crisp. You won't die but I guarantee you it won't feel nice."

All I could do was nod. No matter how goofy he was Apollo could be scary when he wanted to.

"Great! Congrats and stuff on the godhood thing. Try not to die." I'm afraid all gods are secretly insane and now I was one of them. Apollo flashed out and I left room only to be greeted by Hephaestus waiting outside. He was wearing a white chiton, exposing his extremely muscular arms. He was fidgeting with a small flying drone, the same one he had in the throne room.

"Hey Hephy, thanks for stopping by." Hephaestus put the drone in his pocket along with his tools and stood up. He stretched out his hands and I gladly shook it.

"Welcome to godhood, lad. Can't say I didn't see this coming." He smiled, his seemingly burning beard followed cheeks.

"Thanks. It felt like hell though. But pleasantries aside, do you have it?"

"Aye. Finished it before coming to Olympus." From his pocket he pulled out a golden watch. It shined and glistened like marble. It had nothing special about it, it seemed like a regular watch.

"Here you are, your weapon as you've requested." The old god proclaimed, obviously proud of his work. I put the watch on and it had a bit of weight to it. "Tap it twice." Hephaestus commanded.

Two taps and a celestial bronze handgun appeared in my grasp. It had wave-like engravings on its sides and a trident on the grip.

"It was designed after what mortals call a Desert Eagle. I just made it better. It fires Celestial bronze, Imperial gold and silver. I've put a spawning enchantment on the magazine so you wouldn't have to reload, save you some time when in battle. And just like your sword, the watch will always return to your wrist. Just let go of it and it'll become a watch again." Hephaestus listed off its capabilities with Glee. He was a man who took pride in his work, it's always nothing less than perfection.

The gun wasn't too heavy to carry, wouldn't hinder much in maneuverability. What I was worried about was the recoil of the gun. I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I get there.

"Thank you, Lord Hephaestus. I expected nothing but the best from you."

"Hah! As if I was going to give you anything less. Think of it as a gift from me, I never really properly thanked you for Leo. I love that kid, even more than some of my children. From the grips of Thanatos you brought him back and that's something I can never thank for enough."

Leo was probably the worst off from everyone I knew. The war broke him more than we thought it did, he was just never the same after everything was over. I should visit him when I get the chance.

No more words were exchanged between us and we went our separate ways. I took a stroll around Olympus, sightseeing, relaxing for a bit. I knew that in a few days I wasn't going to have another moment like this. A few nymphs and satyrs recognized me, thanked me, congratulated me. I didn't know who they were or how they knew me but I guess I've helped them one way or another back then. I've done so many things that I'm starting to lose count of the things I've done.

I didn't stay in Olympus for long. I decided to return to camp to plan for my trip down to hell's hell. I started packing cans of nectar, boxes of ambrosia, a whole lot of water, and Riptide. I needed to bring as much as I could with as little weight as possible. I probably would've brought gallons of water if I was as strong as Hercules.

It wasn't long before I finished packing and I laid down in my bed, absorbing the fact that I was a god now. I didn't really feel all that different. To be quite honest it was a bit underwhelming. I would've thought there was going to be bright lights and angelic choirs when I became a god, instead I got tentacle violating my insides. I guess Apollo was right, shiny blood and that was basically it.

"Godhood blows." I said out loud. And surprisingly received a reply.

"Yeah, it kinda does." Out of instinct, I tapped my wristwatch and pointed my new weapon where the sound came from. At the end the barrel was a very nervous looking Hestia.

"Hello, Percy. Can you please not point the bronze death machine at my face? I've heard from Ares that it 'hurts like a bitch'."

Realizing I almost blew off the face of the oldest Olympian, I returned the gun to its watch form.

"Sorry, Lady Hestia. Just didn't expect a visitor is all." She was currently in her teen form, her her brown hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Well I'm sure you do well at surprise parties." I guess smartass remarks run in the family. "I came to visit you at Apollo's palace but he said you had already left, he did have the Party Ponies over so that was a dead giveaway."

"Well I'm honored to have your company."

"You're so formal these days, Percy. Back in the day we used to eat smores together, eat your mom's blue cheesecake, and watch Hermes' children play pranks. Now you're a boring old man." Despite being older than everyone combined, except for Chiron, she seemed a bit childish. A twinge of pain struck me when I realized I haven't talked with Hestia for a long time.

"I'm sorry, I guess I really have gotten old. Not as old you but still older." Hestia did not take the age joke well.

"I see, I guess I'm just a cranky, little old woman. Well this cranky, little old woman brought home cooked pot roast and I just decided you won't have any." And so began our hour long banter before sharing home cooked meals, catching up on what I've been doing for the past few years. To say I enjoyed it a bit is an understatement. Hestia was like a mother, a sister and a friend rolled into one. I didn't bother leaving the cabin that day, I figured I deserved this little celebration.

I talked about being a teacher at camp, and she talked about the drama between Zeus and Hestia in Olympus. Hestia was a silent gossip, with family being her domain she knew the happenings around the Olympians. But just as things were going great the conversation took more of a serious atmosphere.

"Percy, I know what you're planning. It seems very obvious, you're about to do something stupid. I know you're going back down there." I shook my head in denial but she's already read me like a book.

"You can grow a beard, you can become a god, but you're still Percy down to the core. Don't do it, Percy. She's at rest now, it wasn't your fault."

"If I was strong enough then I could've saved her. Annabeth wouldn't have suffered if I was strong enough. I'm doing this for her as much as I'm doing this for me. This is penance for my shortcomings."

"Don't do this to yourself. You've done everything you could, not even you can defy the Fates."

"I'll return, Hestia. It's not like I plan on staying there. I just feel like I need to do this."

Hestia surrendered. She knew she couldn't stop me, not even I could stop myself from doing stupid things. It's not like much is gonna happen when I die, I'll reform in a few thousand years. Not a big deal.

"Well it's not like I could stop you, more powerful beings have tried. All I'm asking is that you return. The world would surely be a lonelier place without you."

"I'll come back, in pieces if I have to. As long as I've got people waiting for me I'll come back

* * *

 **I'm considering turning this into a Percy/Hestia fic because she doesn't get enough love. Just putting the possibility there, nothing's set in stone. Tell me what you think about it.  
**


	4. Going Down

**Hello, welcome again. Let me clarify some things. To those confused why Percy would return to Tartarus, well its his Penance for his shortcomings. Literally said that last chapter. To the fellow that said gods can't go into others domain, you are partially correct. They can't unless they have permission. And about entering Morpheus' domain, gods have used dreams as a way to communicate. Whether this is with permission or not remains unknown. Lastly, now that I think about it Percy/Hestia does sound a bit odd but if you think about it almost all relationships on Olympus are messed up.**

 **Now that that's over with, please enjoy.**

* * *

Final preparations were made, farewells were said. I had my backpack strapped and ready for the journey. I left camp hours before the sun rose. Chiron saw me off, looking like a parent sending his son off to war.

I wasted no time in travelling towards the front gate of the Underworld, DOA Recording Studios in Los Angeles. On the other side of the country. I dispersed and materialized a couple blocks away from DOA, stopped in front of a Monster Donut to grab breakfast. I went inside and was immediately greeted by the malicious glares of the monsters in the food chain. I went up to the counter and ordered.

"Gimme a cup of joe and two Glazed Donuts." My voice was hoarse and guttural like it always did in the morning.

"We know what you are, half-breed. I reckon you know what we do to your kind." The cashier, an empousai with pale white skin and cherry red lips, answered with a hiss. She cackled and the rest of the monsters snickered.

"Make no mistake, I'm more than just a demigod. I've killed hundreds of your kind. Hundred for each and every kind of creature there is in here. I could kill you right now if I wanted to but I don't know how to work the register." I made every liquid in the building rise, a mix of coffee, juice and water floated in the air. "I'll ask nicely. A cup of joe and two Glazed Donuts. Please."

The cashier, with a shaky voice, called out my order from the kitchen. She punched the numbers on the register.

"That'll be 9 drachmas." I placed 10 on the counter. She gave me a paper bag with two Glazed Donuts and a cup of coffee. "Take it and leave. Never come back."

"You are so not getting five stars on Yelp. Terrible hospitality." I mumbled as I walked out of Monster Donut. After I closed the door behind me I let everything I raised inside drop down, earning a collective groan from the monsters.

As I walked towards DOA Studios I couldn't help but remember the first we came there. Dying in a bathtub was such a terrible lie it seemed very likely. Oh dumb childhood, how simple you were compared to now.

Upon entering the entrance to the Underworld I was greeted by an empty lobby, a complete contrast to how it usually was.

"Oh, another soul. Come on in, I'll take you to the Underworld." A full sounding Charon said, not looking up from his phone.

"Charon? What happened here? Where are all the souls?" The deathly pale face of Charon looked up, his eyeless sockets met with sea green orbs. "Oh, Jackson. Finally died? I figured you had a couple decades left on you."

"Not dead, Charon. Just visiting. So what happened here?"

"Well the souls were piling up in here and eventually some burst out of the building entirely. Hades had me let everyone in for a cheaper price to avoid another accident." Charon nonchalantly explained before returning his gaze back to his phone

"So...can I pass?"

"Not unless you're dead, Jackson."

"I died in a bathtub?"

"Not this time."

"Let me in and this bag of drachma's yours." I dangle a pouch with clinking coins in front of him. It got his attention as he turned his gaze on the pouch then to me before sighing in defeat.

"Fine, get on the elevator." I walked in after Charon walked inside the elevator, pressing a single button. Down.

"When you actually die I'll make sure to triple your rate. Just because you've gone down through here three times."

"But I paid for all three trips!"

"Yeah but you were alive. That's against company policy."

"You took the bribe!"

"I know no such thing, I'm just escorting a soul."

"You dick." The ride down was mostly quiet, the endless view of obsidian stones passing by was tiring to look at, the elevator music was killing me. Upon reach the base of the Underworld we rode on the ferryman's boat across the Styx.

"When you die you'd already be used to the view of the Styx. That's no fun." The ferryman sounded annoyed.

"I can't die now, actually just became a god."

Charon chuckled.

"Even gods die, Percy. I've rowed a couple of them myself. They do not stay for long though. They eventually fade away in the Void. Into nothingness." His voice was as chilling Death himself, I know because I've talked to him several times. "Do not think godhood protects you. Arrogance is the downfall of all gods."

Throughout the boat ride I couldn't help but ponder on Charon's words, it seemed a bit terrifying how the Void popped up so many times in the past few days. The pain from the Throne Room still feel fresh. But before my thoughts could linger further we arrived.

"Go past the Judges and head straight into Hades' palace. He'll want to meet you first." I leapt out of the boat and waved Charon farewell to which he bowed in acknowledgement. I walked through the cavernous Halls of the In, screams of torment echoed off the walls. I came face to face with the guardian of the Underworld, Cerberus. He didn't seem to mind a living soul passing by. Or maybe he didn't mind because it was me. But as I was passing through Cerberus and towards Hades' palace the ground beneath me cracked open. I felt the intense heat emanating from the newly formed chasm. And from the cracks rised a huge mop of ebony black hair.

"Goddamn it Percy, we agreed we didn't have to do this." It was Nico di Angelo, son of Hades and a guard at Tartarus. I spoke to him about my plan to return to Tartarus but he wasn't too happy to get on the "Get Percy Back to Hell" train. "Do I have to beat it into your head again? You're willingly going back to hell for someone who's dead?"

"How'd you know I was already here?"

"I can feel when something living comes through the Underworld, especially when it's someone like you. I knew the moment you stepped off the boat."

"You know why I need to do this Nico. I can't sleep at night. And when I do, I see her. Down there. I know she's dead but I just need some closure. Either I go insane up here or down there, I don't see much of a choice." I tried my best to convince him but he was one tough nut to crack.

"You and I both know what's down there. Do you really want to go through this again?"

I nodded.

"Jump into the hole, I'll see you on the other side." I took a peep at the chasm and it looked like a bottomless pit straight into Tartarus' asscrack.

"You, uh, sure about this? It seems kinda deep."

"I travel through those everyday, don't be a pussy."

I muttered curses and defenses as I walked towards the hole. I took a deep breath and dived feet first into the pit. I was expecting a long drop but surprisingly landed almost instantly. Nico dropped down next to me.

"Well here we are, the gate to Tartarus."

In front of us was almost a 30 foot tall door 10 feet across, bound by layers upon layers of chains. It had dents of fists that seemed to come from the other side of the door. Even through the door I could feel the malice from the other side

"This is a one way door, once you go in you can't go back through this door. You're gonna have to find your own way out."

I gulped. Only now was I feeling the weight of the situation.

"Any idea where exits are?"

"Head through the highest point Tartarus, you'll have your exit there. "

I patted Nico in the back and offered a smile. The son of Hades placed his hand on the ground and the door started to rumble.

"Remember, highest point. My powers can't go as far down as Tartarus but the highest point should be close enough to the Underworld, I could probably create a tunnel there. Probably."

"Thanks. I'll see you when I get back."

"We saved you before back then but I don't think I can go back down there alone. This one's on you, Percy. I'm sorry."

I offered no more words and set my sights on the doors in front of me.

The doors to Tartarus shook and creaked, the chains were loosening. The more the chain loosened the more the door opened. I could hear violent shreaks and screams of agony as blistering hot winds crashed against my face. Not taking another second I dashed through the door and felt the greatest regret when I felt it close behind me. In front of me was the all familiar landscape of hellish features. Even my eyes burned from its toxic atmosphere.

I wasted no time and looked for the Phlegethon River, the river for the wicked. I felt parts of my skin blister and I was having trouble breathing, it felt like I was breathing in fire. Nothing like breathing in toxic air in the morning.

I found the infamous river of fire and sipped a handful, the water burned as it traveled down my throat. I could breathe a little better but not by much. Tartarus was not made for the living. I could see why even gods avoid this place.

I navigated through the hellish land with the nightmares I had of Annabeth and from what little I could remember from the time I lost Annabeth. I ran across with a couple monsters and creatures but opted to avoid combat, I had no intention of wasting my energy on it. I found a rotting carcass of a basilisk, it wasn't dead so it hasn't turned into dust yet but it sure wasn't going to live long. I took out riptide and gotten the gigantic snake, spreading it's guys all over body. I hoped it would at least mask my smell but my newly acquired godhood might not help. Here's to hoping it works.

I passed through terrifying sights, impaled bodies, gigantic skulls and discarded armor plates. I may have survived Tartarus before but I guess I wasn't the first one to venture down here. I started stroking my wristwatch out of concern, Tartarus was an unpredictable place.

After hours upon hours to traveling I still haven't seen anything I could recognize. No familiar land forms or landmarks. I was starting to think depressing thoughts, some even dark. Must've been Tartarus. After all, this place was meant for torment. The screams were starting get to me, it was a chilling thought. To be tortured down here for eternity.

The screams...that was it! If there's screaming then surely it had to come from somewhere. I followed the directions of the screams and the closer I got the less human-like the screams were. They were more like hisses and roars than screams. I eventually reached a point where I saw the source of the screams I was in awe from what I was presented with.

Just over the distance was a colossal building made of glistening bronze in the shape of a kneeling man looking up towards the heavens, it was easily hundreds of meters high. Underneath it was a burning pit, its fires rising up to the structure's waist. The face of the bronze statue was frozen in a permanent scream, sounds of shrieking and roaring was coming from its mouth. It slowly was becoming clear to me what the structure was. It was a humongous version of the Sicilian Bull.

I almost hurled at the thought that there were things inside it. It was a torture device, the biggest one in creation. How could someone be so sadistic to build something like that. Tearing my gaze away from it, I left and went away from it. I sensed a water source, one of the five rivers that flowed in Tartarus. It was a good distance away but I could feel it. I made haste and made my way towards. Along the way I faced a few rogue cyclops but they posed no threat, not when I had a powerful weapon on my wrist. The range and power of the gun greatly outmatched any other sword. What would've took a lot of effort became a small task. Though the cyclops would just reform somewhere else so it didn't really do me any good.

* * *

After day of travelling, and nearly exhausting my supply of nectar and ambrosia, I finally reached the river, it was the River Cocytus. Somewhere along these banks was where Annabeth and I first landed when we fell in Tartarus. Which also meant I was very close to Rome, just thousands feet up. I was knocked out of my thoughts by a voice in the river

Percy, it whispered. It was Annabeth's voice. I walked near the edge of the water and I saw her. She bloody and beaten, tears flowing down her cheeks. Her stormy gray eyes were staring directly into mine, a look of disappoint me.

"You could have saved me. You were too weak to save me. You didn't even watch as they broke me. You couldn't even hear my last breath as I called out for you." My heart ached as she spoke. It was true, if I wasn't so weak I could have saved her. Maybe I didn't deserve freedom from guilt. Maybe I deserved this torment, her chilling screams forever in my head.

As I was feeling sorry for myself I heard a roaring sound behind me, something was approaching. When I turned around I was met with powerful kick to the chest that sent me skidding across River Cocytus towards the other side. I felt a few of my ribs were broken, my shoulder was dislocated.

"So far from home, little god. Out for a little stroll? You may mask your scent from monsters but I know the scent of a god." From across the river was a 15 foot tall man with rippling muscles. He wore dark leather armor that covered his body with iron shoulder guards. He had a bronze sword in one hand and a golden shield in the other. Around his neck was a necklace of skulls, swords and other spoils of battle.

"I am Perses, Titan of destruction. You...oh you poor bastard. I recognize your face. You were one of the demigods, the one with the daughter of Athena."

My mind went blank. My heart raced and my hands shaked from anger. Somehow I knew this Titan. And he knew about Annabeth.

"I remember clearly. We stole a little bit of Hypnos' powder from Nyx's palace and you could barely stay awake. I felt sorry for you, didn't see the look on the girl's face when I gutted her like an animal." It was all starting to make sense. Torture, unconsciousness, it was all coming together.

"You may have faced my brothers but you barely survived. With the help of gods no less. Tartarus will be your grave, no god will save you. Not this time."

Perses cleared the river in a single bound, sword raised to strike. I jumped out of the way and uncapped riptide along with my gun. I fired several round at the Titan but his shield was enormous. Perses charged at me with his shield in front him, bullets harmlessly bounced off of it.

I rolled to the side, narrowly avoided being run over, and used riptide to cut the Titan's calf.

The Titan of destruction roared in pain as ichor spurted out of the cut. With newfound rage, Perses swung his sword with such strength that I flew back when I blocked it with riptide. Perses gave me no time to recover and swung his sword at me, leaving a severe cut to my chest and cutting the straps off my backpack. I grabbed a bottle of water and poured it's contents on my body, closing the cut slowly.

"Mortals would have died from that cut but I know you're no longer one. Which makes me giddy to think I get to cut you up for eternity." The Titan roared humorously. I had no intention of becoming his toy, I had no intention of staying down here.

Going on the offensive I fired rounds of celestial bronze at Perses, which he blocked with his shield, while I charged towards him. Using water to assist my jump, I leaped over him and cut his name open. Perseus quickly turned and swatted me like a fly, I felt my spine crack this time.

"You have no way of stopping me, god. Down here I bask in destruction, here I am powerful. You have nothing, no god, no demigod, no power." He seemed unfazed by the ichor flowing from his back and legs. There was no way I could defeat the Titan on my own, not without my powers. But luckily I did have something I could control, I could feel my grasp of Cocytus.

As Perseus was charging towards me, I blasted the Titan of Destruction to the side with a powerful torrent of water from the River Cocytus. Not satisfied with just knocking him over, I made a bubble of water around his head and filled his lung with water from the River of Lamentation. He squirmed and writhed as he struggled for breath but to no avail. I watched as his eyes were filled with regret and sadness, the effect of the River Cocytus.

The Titan soon breathed his last as he slowly turned into dust. The Titan Perses was no more, at least until he reformed again. I went over to my tattered backpack and pulled out the last bottle of Nectar and chugged it. I drank enough to kill a normal demigod but being a god, it didn't affect me. I felt my broken bones slowly return to place, torn muscles being stitched up. Even the huge cut on my chest was already gone. The taste of mom's blue chocolate cookies lingered in my mouth.

I remember seeing Annabeth as I was being lulled by the Cocytus, how she looked disappointed in me. Then the revaluation of Perses put the missing pieces in the puzzle. It was all too much to take. Now that I've found out what happened that fateful day, I could finally rest. But the image of Annabeth as she was being tortured couldn't be erased from my mind, I don't it ever will be. The only thing that gives me any consolation is the fact I've avenged her.

From the corner of my eye, I saw something Tangled in Perses' necklace of spoils. Something that brought tears to my eyes. On the necklace was Annabeth's Yankees Cap, a gift from her mother. I plucked it off the the necklace and wiped off the dirt from it, the color was faded and its threads were loose but there was no mistaking it. It was hers.

Filled with I pressed it to my chest and sobbed as loud as I could, tears running down my cheeks. I couldn't say goodbye to her, I never said the things I should have, never done the things I said we would. The greatest loss of my life.

"I'm sorry, Wise Girl. I'm sorry."

* * *

 **Now, concerning Percy/Zoe. Some of you have suggested it but the problem with that is she was already dead in the canon timeline. She is also a constellation. Percy/Artemis seems the most likely pairing out of this but who knows.**


	5. Company

**Chapter 5. Took a bit longer than the other chapters because I got distracted by life and stuff. Chapters should come by at a regular pace after this, sorry about that. This chapter's a bit meh but I'm setting up Pertemis and an actual plot. So, yeah, enjoy.**

* * *

Knock. Knock.

I stood in front of a house that looked a gigantic tree, the home of Grover Underwood. I must have bled for miles and miles, if I was still a demigod I would have died a long time ago.

"Hold on, I'm coming." I heard the Lord of the World's voice from the other side of the door. I was mere moments from passing out, my body was only being held up by sheer willpower.

"How may I he— holy Pan! Percy!" I stumbled forward when the door opened and Grover caught me by the arms. My body was burning, my clothes were soaked in ichor. My eyes had popped vessels that surrounded my sea green irides.

"Grover...I...made...it." I wheezed out, my throat was as dry as a desert.

"JUNIPER! GET ME SOME WATER, QUICK!" Grover's wife, Juniper, came from the kitchen with a pitcher of water. Grover poured water all over my body and asked for another pitcher of water.

"Percy, I told you we were going to talk about it. This is why we talk about things, look at you. Gods, its like you never get tired of Tartarus." With a little strength regained, I pulled out Annabeth's cap that was clipped on my belt.

"Hers." Grover took the cap and looked at it for a second before realizing what it was.

"This was her cap. Oh Annabeth, how I miss her. She'd probably give me an earful if she was here."

I wanted to laugh but I was afraid of ichor rising up my throat. Not a day went by that I didn't think about what Annabeth would say, what she would've done.

Juniper came back with another pitcher filled with water. She poured some in a glass and brought it up to my lips, I lifted my head and drank the entire glass.

"Hey Juniper, nice seeing you again." The singed walls of my throat was healing, fast enough that I could talk without pain.

"I haven't seen you in about a year and you come back bloodied and beaten. I guess it can't be helped if it's you."

In the middle of the hall, all three of us shared a laugh. I didn't laugh because it was that funny, it was a laugh of relief. I laid down in a puddle of water in my best friend's house, with enough cuts that my skin were ribbons. I've been in worse situations.

"I thought I asked you to come over. I said we were going to talk about this, Percy." I pointed to the cap and smiled.

"Worth it."

"Yeah, I guess it was. And you've been gone in record time, only a week this time."

I shook my head. "Months. Time's different down there."

"Month?! How?! How'd you survive down there? I doubt you could have brought enough supplies for a month."

"I'm a god now, Grover."

Grover's eyes widened and his mouth started to curl upwards.

"Why didn't you tell me?! We could have gone out and celebrated!" Grover shook my shoulders in delight. "My best friend's a god, about time you finally accepted."

Grover lifted me up from the floor and laid me on a couch, he took out his reed pipes and played a sweet melody. My body glowed a soft hurt of green and my body felt lighter. I felt my control over my body return, my lungs cleared and I could breath better.

He then proceeded to tear off my ichor-soaked shirt, or at least what used to be my shirt, and wrapped my body in bandages. Juniper brought some more water before cleaning up the mess we made earlier.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a whole lot. Thanks buddy."

"Who else is going to look after you? Especially now you're a god, you're bound to get in a whole lot more trouble."

We spent the rest of the day catching up. He told me his plans for his company, most of which went over my head but I was still proud nonetheless. To think the shy little kid I met in Yancy was now this huge public figure. Not to mention a badass satyr.

"But like I said, it's hard to continue staying as a nonprofit company. We'd eventually need funding, from the government at least."

"I have no idea what you just said, you know I'm the dunce of the camp. You can't just spout corporate mumbo jumbo at me and expect me to get it."

"Where you're lacking in your head you make up for in your heart. You've got a lot of love to give, Percy. Never underestimate that."

"You sound a lot wiser now that you've got a beard."

"The public likes it but Juniper absolutely hates it."

We continued talking until the sun began to set before Grover's home was visited by another guest. The messenger of the gods has arrived.

Right in the middle of Grover's living room burst a bright light and there stood Hermes in a tracksuit.

"Ah, Apollo said you'd be here. Zeus summons you to Olympus. Hope you don't mind me borrowing Percy, Grover "

Grover stood up in defense, he wasn't the timid satyr anymore.

"Percy's hurt, I understand that he's summoned but he hasn't completely healed yet."

"It's fine, Grover." I stood from the couch and patted my friend on the back. "I can handle this. I'll be sure to be back for dinner."

Hermes outstretched his hand and I took it, sending us instantly to the throne room of Olympus. To say that Zeus is angry is like saying the Pacific ocean is kinda big.

"We give you the greatest gift we could give and not even days later you disappear. Nobody could find you on this planet, we've had my children look for you day and night." Zeus' voice was low and controlled but obviously very angry. "It wasn't until days ago the son of Hades told us where you were. If I had known you were eager to go to Tartarus, I would have sent you there personally!"

"Be mindful of your words, brother. I'm sure my son had a reason, right Percy?" I nodded to my father. From my back, I unclasped Annabeth's cap and laid it on the ground.

"I came for that." The throne room was deathly silent. I can feel every gods' eyes stare at me.

"You came for a hat?" Apollo asked, clueless as to what the faded Yankees cap was.

"It was my gift." The goddess of wisdom spoke. I could've sworn I heard her voice crack, something I never would have expected from her. "It was my gift to my daughter, Annabeth."

"That. Is. So. Romantic! The final final from a dead lover! So dramatic! So poetic! I knew putting you two together was a good idea!" Aphrodite exclaimed. She obviously couldn't feel the tension in the air, I even heard someone's palm crash into their face in embarrassment.

"Well, he certainly likes to outdo every demigod that ever existed. Even himself." Hades commented in a rare tone of praise.

"Boy, do you realize the risk you put yourself through? Don't think your immortality protects you, there are being far greater than us. Ones beyond our imagination." Zeus calmed down, Hera's hand was on his. "Not to mention being trapped down there, Tartarus is a prison. Your cousin, Nico, said he helped get you inside and was going to help you get out. He never felt your presence, he couldn't feel you anywhere. How did you escape?"

"I fought every single one of them at the Door to the Surface. Fought until I was the only one there." Slowly, I unwrapped my bandages and showed the full extent of my injury. Littered across my body were a wide variety of scars in the shape of claw marks, cuts, bites and even entire regions of skin missing. It would have looked a lot worse if I hadn't been healed by Grover. "The way to the peak of Tartarus, where Nico was supposed to get me out, was inhabited my Titans. For what reason, I don't know. My choices were limited, exits were either blocked or impenetrable. My only way out was through the same way monsters get out."

The feeling of my wounds exposed to the air stung a little. I could use some ambrosia right about now.

"I don't know whether to call you brave or insane." Hera smacked Zeus' arm and he flinched a bit. "But I'm glad you're safe. Next time, inform me personally if you decide to go on another suicidal trip. Have Apollo tend to your wounds. Council dismissed."

One by one the gods returned to their business with the exception of a few gods. Dad was the first one to approach me.

"Percy, are you all right? Here have some water, fresh from the sea. You had me worried, the seas were just as restless. I'd hug you but it looks like it's hurt." Poseidon blabbered on, covering me in water that he conjured with his powers. In front of me wasn't the Lord of the Seas, ruler of Atlantis and arguably the strongest Olympian. In front of me was a father worried about his son, it felt human.

"I'm fine, dad. Its over now. I feel like I could be at rest now."

"And yet again you go to Tartarus for Athena's daughter. Come with me, I'll introduce you to some very fine lake godesses." I had no intention to go but Poseidon looked like he was about to drag me away. Well at least before he was stopped.

"I'm afraid my father asked Perseus to check in with my brother, Lord Poseidon." The goddess of the moon stepped in the conversation, something my dad wasn't all to pleased about.

"The sea is where he belongs, not your brother's medical machinery. He needs natural healing."

"We need to check him physically and mentally. You know exactly what Tartarus does to the mind, even gods'."

My father didn't want to agree but he seemed to see reason in Artemis' words, but he wouldn't voice that out loud. He turned to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, smiling widely as he spoke.

"I'm glad you're safe. Come visit me in Atlantis some time, I'm sure Tyson would love to see you."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to drop by. Haven't been down there in a while."

"I'll see you around, Percy. Oh and, uh, keep the water." The ruler of the oceans dispersed into water and vanished immediately, leaving me alone in the throne room with the lunar goddess.

She had her arms crossed, tapping her feet on the ground. Her eyes were steely, gaze focused on me. I kinda felt uncomfortable seeing I was topless.

"Do you want to explain to me why you didn't tell me about your little escapade or should I just go straight to beating you with my bow?"

I was nervous. I was walking on glass now, no, broken glass. Either way I go, I will be hurt.

"Uhm, I forgot?" Wrong answer. Definitely the wrong answer. Artemis had her silver bow in hand, a weapon so deadly it didn't even need arrows to be intimidating. Her knuckles were white from her intense grip.

"Choose your words very carefully in the next few seconds. Will there be another repeat of this incident?" Her voice was dangerously low, her tone was cold and deathly calm but I knew what was behind it. It was rage like no other.

"No." I squeaked in fear. The sound was akin to a mouse right now.

"Thalia values you dearly. Should you die, which is very hard as a god but you'll probably find a way, Thalia will be very distraught. Something I do not like. You know exactly what I do to things I don't like." I couldn't move, I was petrified.

"I-I'll keep that in mind. Nice to see you too."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're relatively in one piece. I just don't understand why you wouldn't tell me things like these. I could have helped you in some way."

I was genuinely surprised to see this much worry from Artemis. She's usually calm and collected, nerves of steel and equally stern facade.

"I didn't wanna worry you. I didn't plan on being down there for months, complications happened and I was stuck there longer than expected. Tartarus is huge."

"Months?! How were you in there for months?! It's only been a little over a week!"

"Funny, Grover asked the same thing earlier. Time flies differently in Tartarus, a second there could have been minutes here. I'm not sure, time shifts."

"Go see my brother, have him check your wounds. Then you're coming with me for a ride, I can't let you out of my sight. Who knows where you'll end up next."

"I can't." She was taken aback by my refusal, probably because it sounded a lot more serious than I planned it to be. "I mean, I'm having dinner with Grover and his wife. I already said I was coming, it'd be rude if I didn't come."

Artemis was in thought for a second before snapping her fingers, she has an idea. A possibly terrible one.

"I'll come with you then." I take it back, it wasn't as terrible as I thought. But this was very odd for her, every god today was odd. Zeus was calm, Poseidon was panicky, Ares was silent, and now Artemis was going to dinner with a son of Poseidon, the Lord of the Wild and his wife.

"You sure? Don't you have duties at night? Like the moon?"

"I already told you it can run on its own. Besides, I have to thank Lord Grover for his contributions to preserving nature."

"Lord Grover? Why don't you call me Lord Perseus?"

"Because I don't want to. Any other questions?"

"Isn't it always night on the other half of the world? Shouldn't you technically be watching over the moon at all times?"

"This is why, Perseus. This is why you don't get titles. Go to my brother, I'll see you after you're done with him." Artemis vanished in a flash of light. But as I was about to head to Apollo's palace, I was stopped by a voice. What is up with God's and voices today, sheesh.

"Well, you came back. In pieces too. I'll bring you some cookies when I visit." Hestia didn't even bother looking as she was too busy stoking the hearth. How long has she been there?

"Right, I'll see you later. Blue cookies please?"

"Of course, now run along. I'm busy poking fire." Hestia, possibly the most sarcastic goddess there is.

I materialized in Apollo's palace, in front of his office in the medical wing. I opened the door and Apollo was already in full doctor mode, he even had stethoscope around his neck.

"Ah, Mr. Jackson. Got a little adventurous I see. Let me have a look at your boo boos." I walked up to him and produced an eyepiece out of thin air and looked at my cuts.

"Well, it's closed. Which is good but I think they're going to leave a mark. Like a whole lot of it. Not good if you want a beach bod like mine but I think some chicks would dig it. I would advise not going to Tartarus for about never at all and that should cure you of a shit ton of scars." His medical assessment and advice was truly worthy of the guy known the as the god of medicine. He went to his desk and started writing something on a piece of paper. "I'm prescribing you with some Dionysus grade wine for any pain you might experience and Hecate's Scar-B-Gone cream for those pesky, but totally rad, scars. Oh and take this shirt to cover up."

Taking the "prescription" and the bright yellow shirt the god offered, I bowed to Apollo and said farewell. The moment I stepped out of his office I heard screaming and loud techno noise. His office turned into a party in a split second. Right outside Apollo's office was Artemis, reading a hunting magazine. She noticed me and offered me her hand, I took it and I was in in front of Grover's house again.

On the door was a handprint of ichor, my handprint. I knocked twice and called out for Grover. The door opened but I was greeted by Juniper.

"Percy, you made it just in time. I was about to set the pla—" Juniper stopped mid sentence when she saw Artemis behind me. She started fixing her hair and straightening her clothes. "Lady Artemis, I am honored to be in your presence. Would you care to join us for dinner?"

"I would be glad to join you. It's not every day I get to meet Perseus' friends."

We entered inside and went straight to the kitchen where Juniper promptly called Grover down. Hooves noisily came from the stairs as Grover came down.

"Those enchiladas smell good! I am so starv—"

"Grover Underwood, it is nice to finally to talk to you in person."

"Lady Artemis! What a surprise, what brings you to my humble abode?"

As Grover and Artemis were exchanging pleasantries, Juniper pulled me to the side and whispered in my ear.

"Why didn't you tell me you were bringing Lady Artemis over?! I could have prepared a much nicer meal!" I just shrugged.

"Well it is an honor to have you over for dinner, Lady Artemis."

"The pleasure's all mine, I wanted to meet the satyr who kept this worrisome man in line."

We all sat down at the table, plates of enchiladas were served. Grover was eating in a civilized manner, hiding his true nature. If Artemis wasn't here he would've been stuffing his face.

"This meal is delicious, Juniper. A meal fitting the Lord of the Wild."

"It's not much, my lady. I've been making these for Grover ever since we were together."

"I guess the quickest way to a man's heart isn't between the fourth and fifth rib."

I almost spat out my food at Artemis' jab at her old self. Years ago she would have killed every man that spoke to her or came close to her. Now she only threatens them. With arrows. From all her hunters. Still a huge improvement.

Dinner passed and we said our farewells. Grover offered me a spare room for the night but I declined. They already did so much for me earlier, I didn't want to bother them any more than I already did.

Artemis took me for another ride on her chariot. It felt nice to breathe in fresh air again. The moon shined brighter tonight more than the times I've seen it. We whizzed through the sky at a slow and calm pace, enjoying the view beneath us. The cities below us looked like veins of lights.

"I've been to ask you something." Artemis decided to break the silence between us. "Annabeth. What made you go to Tartarus just for her? You've been down there three times, two were of your own accord."

I was caught off guard by the question, it was way too sudden. Annabeth was the last thing I wanted to talk about.

"She was precious to me, she was my girlfriend but even more than that she was my friend. Its not that complicated." Artemis seemed disappointed, like a mother learning her son was an idiot.

"You heroes are never simple. Hercules had strength like no other but had the temper of his father, Theseus was fearless but he was covetous, and you are fiercely loyal and loving but have no concern for your own sake."

"Everyone dies. I figured if I was gonna go out it was going to be saving my friends. I thought it was going to be an amazing story, up there with the greats like Achilles and the rest of the ancient Greek heroes."

"You seem to forget you've done what they've done combined. You're already among the greatest heroes. Maybe even the greatest one."

"If I was so great then no one would have died, not when I could've done something about it." I felt bitter, not at Artemis but at myself. I've heard people call me a hero countless of times but I wasn't a hero. A hero wouldn't let his love ones die while he stood there watching.

"There isn't a single hero in history who hasn't lost someone, nobody can escape death. But a hero would have risen above and fought harder. I understand you've lost a lot but think of those you could lose."

She was right. I wasn't doing myself any good beating myself over everyone's death. I have to protect what's left.

"I guess I can't argue with that. Who knew you'd be good pep talk. Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the moon, and pep talks." I laughed out loud, Artemis was very annoyed. Her eyes narrowed and her brows scrunched but it just made me laugh even harder.

"That mouth of yours is going to take you places, Perseus. None of them pleasant. If you weren't my friend I would have used your face for target practice." Artemis spat out blank threats.

The longer I stared at her angry face the more I realized she glowed brighter under the moonlight. Her Auburn hair billowed in the air like autumn leaves, her eyes were like pearls. It wasn't long before I realized she was staring right back at me, to which I responded by quickly tearing my gaze away and scratching a non-existent itch on my head.

"What are you starting at?" I couldn't answer her, I was too embarrassed. I was also afraid she might have an arrow nocked, pointed at my pretty little face. Everyone knows she's shot men for lesser reasons.

"You're glowing." I said simply. There really was no other of saying it. I couldn't have said that I was staring into her eyes because I thought they were beautiful, that would've gotten me thrown off the chariot.

"A god is defined by their domain, the moon exudes moonlight as I do. You are a Lord of the seas and you smell of ocean breeze. Even more than that, you give off a feeling of unease. Perhaps this is due to you being a god of disasters."

"Natural disasters." I corrected her.

"It does suit you well. You're a force capable of shaping landscapes in an instant, an unfaltering wave of change. Just as you have no control over your fate, so do people with floods or earthquakes. You cannot stop fate, Perseus. Go with the current, not against it."

After discussing responsibilities and privileges of gods, the rest of the night went on with us bantering, throwing insults half meant, thousands of feet in the air. It was just like those times up on the Argo II. Not quite the Argo II but very close.

"Perseus." Artemis tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at something in front of us. The closer it got the more I could see what it was. It was a man, about 20 feet tall, shrouded in storm clouds, armed with a bow and arrow. He had blonde hair and cold blue eyes that were directly staring at us. Around him were storm spirits that were tied to a golden leash.

"We've got company."

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 **Alrighty, see you guys in the next chapter.**


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